Jomoro Assembly fights climate change

The Jomoro District Assembly in collaboration with the District Agriculture Office has nursed more than 10,000 Acacia Seamia tree seedlings for distribution to some communities to undertake tree planting programme.

The tree seedling would be given to communities including Half-Assini, Tikobo Number One, Tikobo Number Two, Elubo, Allowuley, Beyin, Twenen, Samenye, Agyeza and Jaway Wharf, free of charge.

Mr George William Somiah, District Chief Executive, who made this known at a Town Hall gathering at Half Assini, said the move is to fight climate change.

The trees when mature would serve as windbreaks, provide shades and also prevent soil erosion particularly in the aforementioned communities and the District in general.

The meeting was organised by the Assembly in collaboration with Friends of the Nation (FoN) a civil society organisation (CSOs) with funding from OXFAM, an American based non-governmental organisation.

It was attended by about 300 key stakeholders of local governance including the religious bodies, traditional rulers, assembly /unit committee members, area councilors, heads of security agencies / departments, media and CSOs from eight out of the 10 area councils in the district.

The programme seeks to promote transparency and accountability in the utilisation of public resources through citizens’ participation.

It would also make the Assembly more responsive to the development needs and aspirations of the citizenry while rendering account on its stewardship of public resources.

He said District Agriculture Office, Half-Assini, would supervise the exercise and urged the chiefs and people of the beneficiary communities to contact the Agricultural Department for supply of the seedlings.

Mr Somia expressed concern over the fast rate at which the environment is being degraded resulting in change of climate in the area.

FoN Programme Coordinator, Nana Efua Ewur in an address read on her behalf, commended the Assembly for adhering to the principles of participatory development, transparency and accountability as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.

She said FoN has supported the assembly for the past six years in its programmes and activities including preparation of its Medium – Term Development Plan in 2014 that incorporates interventions to address climate change vulnerability and better coastal manage resources.

She called for closer ties among the assembly and stakeholders of the area in deepening “participatory democracy at the grassroots level” future in the and the country at large.

The Coordinator said similar engagements had taken place at Elubo and Tikobo Number One.